Woman sentenced in embezzling case

An Alamogordo woman was sentenced to five years of supervised probation for embezzling $209,700 from the Holloman Air Force Base's bowling alley snack bar.

Elizabeth A. Kraykovich was sentenced in U.S. District Court of New Mexico in Las Cruces on Nov. 28.

Along with serving five years of probation, Kraykovich will also have to pay back the $209,700 in restitution, District Court of New Mexico spokeswoman Terri Abernathy said.

Abernathy said during Kraykovich's sentencing hearing, the government asked the court to sentence Kraykovich to 18 months in prison.

Government attorneys argued before the court that Kraykovich stole brazenly, consistently, methodically, systematically from the United States, and only stopped when she was caught, according to federal court documents.

According to court documents, Kraykovich admitted that, at times, she was spending about $2,000 a month of stolen money on furniture rentals.

Holloman Director of Media Relations Arlan Ponder said Holloman does not routinely comment on sentences.

"Regarding sentences issued by the court systems, we make it a policy to not comment on a specific sentence," Ponder said. "However, we do our best to take care of airmen and families with the resource we are provided. The theft of over $200,000 was a significant loss and it has impacted a tremendous amount of Team Holloman members."

According to federal court documents, Air Force Office of Special Investigations agents were notified on May 11, 2011, by financial analysts from the 49th Force Support Squadron of an embezzlement at the HAFB bowling alley snack bar.

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The analysts explained that the results of an audit revealed a loss of cash sales revenue of $209,700 was missing from the snack bar between 2007 and 2011 when Kraykovich was accounting for the money, according to court documents obtained by the Daily News.

In a plea agreement with the government in February 2012, Kraykovich plead guilty to the charge of embezzlement then admitted to stealing the $209,700 from the HAFB bowling alley snack bar for her personal gain.

AFOSI agents learned Kraykovich was using the money to make payments to two different Alamogordo furniture stores then observed her making those payments with marked bills that the agents previously used to make purchases at the snack bar, according to court records.

Ponder said routine audits are conducted with all accounts using governmental funds including those non-appropriated fund accounts.

"This is a prime example of why audits are conducted," he said. "The public needs to be assured their tax dollars are being used wisely. We are grateful to the investigators and attorneys who worked hard to secure the conviction and bring this to a closure."

Ponder said according to Air Force Instruction Audit Reporting Procedures, annual audits of central NAF instrumentalities and individual NAF activities with annual revenues or expenses must have annual financial audits.

"While we have a control system in place, the former employee devised a way to exploit it," he said. "The Air Force is always reevaluating its procedures regarding the use of audits to improve programs, make financial reporting more accurate, and ensure public resources are used efficiently, effectively, economically and legally."Contact Duane Barbati at dbarbati@alamogordonews.com.